Point of Time
by shadewatcher
Summary: 150 years ago something terrible happened on the site of what would become Megakat City. Usually the past stays buried, but as the katizens of this city have learned that is not always true. Can a tortured soul from the past find happiness in this time.
1. Chapter 1

POINT OF TIME

**POINT OF TIME**

_(thanks to Ulyferal for playing beta to my works, cause otherwise they would probably suck)__  
_

Chapter 1

_Future site of Megakat City, about 150 years in the past..._

We enter on a grim reminder of how barbaric the past truly was. A group of kats stands playing judge, jury and executioner to one of their own. This is a sign of the times and how points of view at the time were terribly superstitious and cruel.  


"Lastly how do you plead to the charges of being in the devil's court and practicing witchcraft, Elaina Mourly." The grim figure of the council-kat barked.

"Not guilty...not guilty. I have done nothing wrong. Why are you doing this?" The terrified she-kat shrieked. Sobbing, she tried once more in vain to lurch away from the imposing figures surrounding her.

"Liar, I saw you perform your dark magic. I know not what demon possess you but I wish it were not so." The voice came from a tall lean kat with dark red-brown fur and auburn hair. "Oh, that I could have saved you from this darkness and evil."

"Trin, my love, please I am not evil, I am not possessed. Why have you turned on me? Is this why you attacked me earlier, because you thought to drive away a demon?" The frantic female sobbed.

Though she had sustained a terrible assault by her love, the bruises had now all but disappeared. In the eyes of the council this was yet another sign that she held some demon within her. As such she had to be made to suffer for her dark misdeeds.

"Enough," The council-kat cried in anger, "We have heard all the evidence against this witch and now she will be punished in accordance with the law."

Growling, the council-kat turned to the distraught she-kat. "As it stands so it will be, Elaina Mourly, you have been found to be a witch and in accordance with our laws, you will be sealed away for all eternity. This tomb will be thy fate and the fate of any who follow in your paw steps."

With that, a large wooden casket was brought toward them in a horse drawn cart. The two kats driving were grim as they stopped and unhitched the gate at the rear of the wagon. Climbing up into the wagon one of the pair removed the top of the large box. On it's top was an ornately carved wooden cross.

Sliding the top off to the side, the pair and the crowd waited. Elaina just sobbed.

"Now you will be committed to your fate. Bring her here." The council-kat ordered, indicating the box on the wagon.

Elaina screamed, the realization of what they intended to do was too horrifying. She struggled and fought all the way. Finally, one of her captors struck her from behind knocking her unconscious. That done, they raised her up and lay her into the casket.

"To the ground we commit you dark one, may there be mercy yet for your soul" The council-kat spoke piously.

He bid the two cart kats to cover and seal the box. As they did that, a clergy approached and blessed it. Placing a seal upon it for what they hoped was for all eternity.

Trin sobbed...he had truly loved her. What could have happened that she could have become possessed by a demon. That was the only reason he had done what he had. He never would have attacked her or let the doctors do those unspeakable things to her if she had been herself.

If only that dog had not bitten her. When it had turned into a flesh eating monster soon after the bite it was obvious to all that something was truly wrong. Despite all seeing her being bitten there was no sign of a bite on her leg. It was as if it had never happened.

Now because of that proof she was to be buried alive in a sealed casket to ensure that no other was infected by her evil.

Sadly Trin and the town's kats watched as the council and clergy had the wagon moved to the burial site. It wasn't far as they would need to keep an eye on it to ensure that the grave was not disturbed or that she did not rise from it.

As they lowered the casket, Trin felt a tremor run through him. It was bad enough that this poor she-kat had suffered through the loss her parents and other family to fire and bandits to get to this village, now this. It was as if the fates were plotting against the unfortunate female. Or was it as some speculated after the dog bit her, that she perhaps had caused all this darkness herself, brought on by whatever demon she had conspired with.

Sighing Trin shook his head sadly. A crash of thunder made him look up as the rain began to pelt down upon them. With one last glance back at the now filled in grave he turned and headed back to the village filled with sorrow and regret.

It would take years before Trin would fall in love with another, but eventually he did. The small village prospered for a time, forgetting the terrible thing done to one she-kat.

Eventually time ends and begins all things. The village burned to the ground, again. Unbeknownst to the village inhabitants, this had happened to the previous inhabitants before them. This bit of land seemed to attract a lot of trouble. It would be years before it was rebuilt bigger and better as a township, then a city, then a megalopolis known as Megakat City.

_Megakat City...present day...the newly broken ground of Megakat Construction Company office site..._

It was near midnight, the crew had left around seven in the evening so no one was around. The freshly bulldozed earth was getting a good drenching from the downpour of rain tonight. A stray dog wandered through the site hoping for a leftover bite of one of the crew-kats lunches. As it was the dog was the only witness to what happened next.

One moment all was quiet but for the patter of the falling rain, the next, a blood curdling scream was heard accompanied by a shower of mud and water spewing up from the ground. Frightened, the dog ran yelping with its tail between its legs. The creature that had caused the eruption of earth didn't notice the dog as it clawed its way out of the muck to the precious air above its tomb. Sobbing the freakish being slowly half dragged, half crawled down the street, the rain washing away the mud revealing a very dirty bedraggled she-kat.

Moaning softly, Elaina sought shelter. She was wet, filthy, and terrified. When she had finally regained consciousness it had taken her only a moment to realize something was very wrong. It was dark, and the air around her had smelled musty and damp like earth. She hadn't wanted to open her eyes at first, but when she did, she wished she hadn't.

In a blind panic, she had realized she was enclosed in some kind of box. She had screamed and scrabbled wildly, kicking, punching and scratching till the top of her prison had given way. Only then did she realize how horrible a situation she was truly in, as mud had poured in on top of her. Scrabbling for dear life she had managed to tear through the softened earth and break the surface.

Sobbing softly she dragged herself under the over hang of a nearby building. It was now that she began to realize that this was not a place she recognized. In fact, she couldn't remember where she was supposed to be or for that matter who she was or how she had come to be here.

Eyes growing wide with fear, she glanced around wildly. Looking back across the street at the pit of dirt that she had just dragged herself from it seemed to be surrounded by huge unmoving monsters with gaping mouths.

Freezing she hoped her sudden appearance had startled the beasts and that was why they were not pursuing her. Swallowing hard, she began to slowly back away from the fearful sight before her, hoping that none of the monsters would notice one small kat.

Once out of sight of the creatures, she fled in terror down the next street. Gaping at the strange things she saw.

'What are these strange metal boxes with windows on wheels and how is it that there are great high poles with strange lights shining from them?' She pondered this and much more as she fled farther and farther away from the pit she had emerged from.

_Same neighborhood a few blocks over…_

Callie had been through a tough day. His 'honor' had decided that she should be the one to deal with the irate Chief Enforcer when he had turned down yet another of Feral's petitions for funds. The fact that Mayor Manx was a coward as well as being a spendthrift, was probably why she got stuck with all the lousy jobs that he didn't want to face.

Sighing mentally, she was on her way home when her bad day got worse, the crap car she used for work decided to clunk out once again. The good thing was she knew two very talented and wonderfully understanding mechanics that always went out of their way for her. Having already called them she stood waiting by her pain in the tail sedan for their arrival.

As she stood there in the dark, Callie couldn't help but get a little creeped out. It was a dark empty street in the middle of the night after all, who wouldn't be. Rubbing her own shoulders for comfort and warmth she was grateful that the rain had at least stopped so she could be outside her car and better see the guys arriving.

A moment later, she nearly jumped out of her fur as a piercing scream ripped through the quiet night. Looking around she realized it had to be close; she couldn't just stand there and not do anything. As another scream broke the silence, Callie made up her mind. Getting a tire iron out of her trunk, she tore off in the direction of the screams.

_Moments earlier...just blocks away... _

Chance and Jake had been at home watching Litterbin on TV when Callie had called to say her car had once again died on her. She had given the street name and said she would be waiting by her car when they got there. The two toms had wasted no time in getting in their tow tuck and heading her way.

As they neared where Callie was and rounded the street corner they saw her car, but no Callie.

"Oh crud," Chance blurted "where the heck is she?"

"I don't know buddy but we better find her quick. No telling what kind of trouble she could end up finding in this neighborhood." Jake said grimly.

As if on cue, another scream rent the air. Callie had been about to head into the ally when she had seen the familiar headlights of the guys' tow truck. She thought better of her original decision and doubled back.

Panting she ran up along side of the truck just as they were approaching her car. "Guys," she gasp.

Both toms spun their heads toward her, Chance having stomped on the brakes in time to halt beside her. They blinked in surprise at the sight of the slightly disheveled Deputy Mayor. Before they could ask what was wrong, another scream sounded.

"No time to explain we have to find out who's in trouble." Callie gasped out.

Jake opened his door and pulled Callie in beside him. She pointed to the alley she had been about to investigate. Chance quickly moved up the block as she told them what she had been doing before they'd arrived, their windows open to listen for anything. They heard a ruckus in the alley and turned down it.

The sounds led them to the next street where they finally came to where the action and the screamer was.

The lights of their tow truck illuminated a chilling scene. A terrified she-kat was backed as far as she could go up against a brick wall, a large dark-furred tom inching in toward her. The trio couldn't hear what he was saying but it was very apparent by the look on the female's face that the tom's attentions were unwelcome.

The pair startled and froze as the lights pinned them in place. All three climbed out of the truck and it was Chance who made the first move. Stepping forward, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem, excuse me but I think it's safe to say the lady doesn't want your company." He growled warningly.

The dark-tom hissed at him, turning quickly with fists clenched, he apparently was going to fight. The fight in his eyes died when he realized he was outnumbered when Jake came up beside his friend. Growling he gave one last look at the frightened female before turning tail and fleeing.

Chance made a move to go after him, but Jake held him back.

"Don't Chance. He knows this area, we don't, besides we have someone who needs our help." Jake said quietly moving toward the still frightened female.

Chance sighed, realizing his friend was right. He too turned his attention to the poor, cowering she-kat.

As the three carefully approached her, they could see something terrible had happened to her.


	2. Chapter 2

POINT OF TIME

**POINT OF TIME**

_(Thanks to Ulyferal for playing beta to my works, otherwise they would probably suck.)_

Chapter 2

Swallowing hard Jake glanced at Callie and said softly, "Maybe you should try to talk to her. Were both toms and after what she may have been through, it might be better if we didn't get too close just yet."

"You're probably right, Jake, there's no telling what this poor creature has been through tonight." Callie said softly

Chance only nodded his approval and waited with his partner as Callie stepped toward the frightened female.

Sighing, Callie tried to put on what she hoped was a friendly smile. "Hello" she spoke tentatively. "My name is Calico Briggs. These two are my friends Jake Clawson…" she gestured to her left "and Chance Furlong." She motioned to her right. "We heard your screams and came as fast as we could. Are you alright?" She spoke softly hoping not to spook the already terrified she-kat.

The kat in question continued to huddle against the wall mewing and holding herself.

Frowning Callie turned back to the two tom kats. "Maybe someone should call for an EMT. I can't even tell if I'm getting through to her." She suggested.

"I'll do it! We have a radio in the truck, be back in a flash." Jake agreed, turning to trot back to the tow truck, wishing he had taken more than just CPR training in the enforcer academy.

Chance just stood staring sadly at the dirty and frightened she-kat. As Chance Furlong, he'd rescued kats whose cars broke down, as T-Bone, he rescued anyone who needed him. Now here was someone who needed help and there really wasn't anything he could do for her. He really hated feeling useless.

While the boys were busy with their own thoughts Callie had cautiously inched her way up to the other female. As she got closer, she realized the female didn't seem to be staring at her, but off into space somewhere instead.

Callie cringed, 'What could have possibly happened to detach someone so badly?' She wondered to herself.

As she closed the gap between herself and the unknown female the strange she-kat suddenly gave a jolt of surprise then to Callie's relief stared at her not past her as she had been doing.

Elaina's breath caught when she came back to herself and realized a strange female was standing very close, her face showing concern. The stranger had cream-colored fur, with blond hair and dressed in odd clothing. Standing just beyond her was a powerful looking yellow tabby with the same look on his handsome face. As she took in more of her surroundings, she saw another one of those strange windowed boxes with wheels and a slim, ginger-colored tom was just leaving it and heading toward them. She watched as he got closer then spoke to the other two.

"Alright, I called it in. The medics should be here in a few minutes." Jake reported quietly then noted the female looking at them. "Uh, Callie, is she ok? Is she talking yet?" He asked softly, eyeing the still nervous and panting she-kat.

Turning her head toward him, Callie answered with a sigh. "No Jake, she hasn't said a word. I hope she can understand us. This will be much more difficult for her if she doesn't speak our language."

Elaina blinked. 'Who were these strange kats? What is a medic? Perhaps the one called Callie could answer some of my questions.' She thought, as her panic slowly diminished. She didn't know why but she had a strong feeling she could trust these three.

Swallowing hard, she mewed again to get the she-kat's attention.

Callie jerked her head back to focus on the small female in front of her, daring to hope that she either could understand what they said or wasn't too traumatized to talk.

In a timid hoarse whisper, Elaina asked. "Where am I? What is this place? Who was that strange kat and why did he accost me? I do not understand, I do not know what has happened, nor can I remember anything? Please tell me you know something that could help me?" With each question she grew frantic and tears began falling down her face.

"Shhhhh, it's going to be alright." Callie soothed while inside she was practically dancing with glee. This meant the she-kat could speak their language and was willing to talk to them though they still didn't know if she was injured in any way.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Can you tell me your name and address or the name of someone we can call for you?" Callie asked.

Elaina gaped at her as if she were speaking a different language. She realized suddenly that she had no idea how to answer those questions and that frightened her even more.

"I don't know." She whimpered

"Urm, you don't know what Miss?" Chance spoke up for the first time.

Elaina started at the sound of his voice. Though the male was large and powerful, his voice was light and gentle. 'God, what does he want me to say!' She thought to herself, panic rising higher within her.

"I don't know" She choked out again, her fingers clenched together to stop them from shaking.

Frowning a little, Jake decided to give it a try. He took a step closer. "What is it you don't know?" He cooed softly, wording the question differently to see if that would help.  
Panting through her tears, she spoke in a rush. "Anything! I don't know what you mean. I can't remember! I don't know where I am or how I got here or who that strange kat was or what day it is or even what my own name is for that matter! I just don't know!"

With that she broke down all over again, leaving the trio to stare at her wondering what in the world to do now. All they could do was offer their comfort and wait till the paramedics arrived.

Groaning inwardly, Chance also stepped closer. "Can you remember anything, anything at all? Even a teensy little bit of something?" He coaxed.

She shuddered and gasped managing to blurt out, "No, there is nothing there, nothing." Her voice getting a little hysterical.

Jake tried again. "Ok, you say you don't remember anything from before then can you remember how you got here, on this street?" He asked, gesturing around them, hoping to wheedle anything that might help from the upset female.

Elaina sniffed a bit and struggled to calm herself. She looked around getting her bearings so that she could at least tell them what had happened since she'd awakened in this strange place.

Shakily, she told them about how she'd awakened inside a wooden box. She clawed her way out of it only to be nearly drowned in mud. Slithering her way to freedom she had found herself in a dirt pit surrounded by those hideous monsters. Terrified, she'd fled the area winding up here only to be set upon by the unknown tom.

"And that's when you showed up." She finished snuffling and wiping her eyes.

The three kats just gaped at her in shock. If what she said were true then she was lucky to be alive at all. Amnesia was the least of her worries as now the police would have to list her as an assault victim and try to track down the perpetrator.

Regular cases were handled by the cops not the enforcers so it would be the police that dealt with the creep who had done this.

But who would do such a sick thing? To bury another alive, was just beyond the scope of any evil they had ever dealt with.

Chance felt sick. He had felt sorry for her before but now he was furious on her behalf. How anyone could do this kind of thing to such a seemingly sweet she-kat was beyond him. He could tell by the expressions of his companions, they shared his anger and disbelief. There was nothing in the world that would possibly make a kat deserve such cruelty.

As they stood musing, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. The paramedics had finally arrived. Moving away and back to the open street the two toms waved their arms to flag down the ambulance as it approached and stopped.

Sighing in relief, Callie turned back the other she-kat as the med-team jumped out and began to get their gear. She was dismayed when she saw the female's eyes were wide with fright.

Elaina was terrified, another of those strange things had rushed up and the noise it had made was like nothing she'd ever heard before. She was backing away when Callie had turned to her.

Frowning in concern, Callie moved closer to the female. "It's alright. They aren't going to hurt you they just want to see if you are alright."

"W-w-what is that?" Elaina asked, stuttering, pointing at the vehicle.

"Huh!" Callie said, eyeing her in confusion. Deciding to treat her like a kitten, she said gently, "It's called an ambulance. They come when kats are in distress."

Elaina stared at Callie then at the 'ambulance?' a moment longer then took a shaky breath and accepted Callie's offered paw and let her pull her close. She buried her face in Callie's shoulder and hugged tight needing the touch of another to make her feel better. Callie's scent was soothing and helped her relax.

Callie sighed with relief and hugged the she-kat back. If this helped the poor bedraggled female then she was all for it. When the poor thing pulled back, she had a small smile on her face. Callie returned it. It was good to see the she-kat able to smile after all the horrors she suffered.

Putting a comforting arm around her, Callie began to steer the female toward the waiting ambulance but the closer they got the more tense the she-kat became.

Looking on, Chance and Jake traded grins. It seemed Callie had managed to comfort the female enough for her to allow herself to be led in their direction.

As they came closer to the emergency vehicle a sudden wave of fear came over Elaina. She couldn't explain it just that she suddenly knew something wasn't right. She began panting again and tried to pull away from Callie when one of the medics tried to come closer to her.

Jake and Chance realized at the same time, the female was beginning to be terrified again and was trying to pull away from Callie. Chance noticed the she-kat was flinching from the medic trying to help her. He stepped in to defuse the situation. Moving closer to the medic who had stepped back from the female, he murmured.

"She's been through some really terrible stuff tonight and doesn't trust anyone very well. We've kinda got her to accept us. Give us a moment to help her calm down."

The medics had already noted the wide-eyed fear from the female and having dealt with this kind of behavior before, they were willing to see if one of the others here could coax the frightened she-kat to cooperate.

"Sure, we understand. We'll wait here until you can convince her to let us help her." One of them said calmly.

Chance nodded his thanks then turned to the she-kat. Callie eyed him but said nothing except to keep a comforting arm around the she-kats waist.

Chance cleared his throat and asked softly, "Hey, Sweets, what's the matter? These nice kats are going to take you to get help. They're professionals and know what they're doing so you needn't worry about a thing."

Elaina shivered. She could tell this tom was telling the truth but that didn't help her shake the feeling of fear when she got close to the one medic.

"I don't want him to touch me." She was finally able to whimper.

"Don't want who to touch you, Sweets?" Chance cocked a questioning eyebrow at her.

Frowning, she eyed the lead medic, a blue-grey tom with black hair. "Him, I don't want him to touch me." She said pointing to the tom in question.

The three looked at each other a moment and sighed. They suspected the poor she-kat was associating this tom with the one that had attacked her earlier.

Elaina, now called Sweets, knew she couldn't trust the blue-grey tom. If asked, she couldn't have said why he made her uneasy, only that he did. Since she couldn't remember her real name, she liked the way the tabby called her Sweets, it sounded nice and decided it was a good as any other name she could have.

Chance turned back to the medics and quietly explained what little they knew of what happened to the female. Looks of horror and pity graced the medics faces. When Chance told the blue-grey medic why she was upset with him, the guy nodded his understanding. He told his partner to deal directly with her and he'd stay back. Chance thanked them and turned back to the female, he'd begun to think of as Sweets.

"Okay, Sweets, he won't come near you. Now will you let this nice Kat take care of you?" Chance asked her pointing to the other medic.

Swallowing hard and regaining her courage, Sweets nodded. With relief they gently guided her onto the gurney and checked her over gently.

Sweets tensed as the strange tom used odd devices on her and touched her in rather intimate ways. He was quick though and moved away so they could lift the gurney up into the ambulance. The Kat taking care of her continued doing things while explaining what he was doing.

It didn't help since Sweets had no idea what he was saying. The strange gadgets all around her were scary. She didn't know why but some of it seemed familiar and not in a good way. By the time the medics had settled her in and one was making for the front of the vehicle, Sweets realized she was going to be alone with these strangers. She began to mew frantically. Nothing the medic could do would calm her.

Callie felt terrible for her. Here she was, not knowing anyone or anything and now she was being put in an even more stressful situation with no control over what was going to happen to her. It was obviously very upsetting. She made a sudden decision.

"I'm coming with her." She called out to the medic still trying to soothe the she-kat. "She doesn't know anyone but she knows me at least a little. I can help to keep her calm."

The medic eyed her for a moment then nodded.

Turning to her two companions, Callie said quickly, "Look guys, she needs someone with her. I can't just let her go by herself, she's already terrified. Here are my keys. I'll pick the sedan up in a day or so and let you know what happens with her. Ok."

"I think that's a wise decision, Callie. Thanks for doing it." Chance said, giving her a half-smile of approval.

Jake concurred, "Yeah, don't worry about a thing. We'll take care of your car, you just make sure that she's ok. We'll see you in a day or so."

"Thanks guys." Callie said warmly leaning in to give them a light squeezing hug. Turning she stepped up into the ambulance with a helping paw from the medic. She turned as the blue-grey tom prepared to close the doors to wave goodbye.

"Bye Callie, take care" The two toms said in unison.

As they watched the ambulance depart, the duo could only wish the best for the unfortunate occupant as they made their way back to the tow truck and Callie's sedan.


	3. Chapter 3

POINT OF TIME

(Thanks to Ulyferal for playing beta to my works, otherwise they would probably suck.)

Chapter 3

The trip to the hospital was uneventful except for when the driver briefly tried to turn on the siren which caused Sweets to go into a wild screaming fit. He very quickly shut it off again and Callie helped the EMT to calm down the distraught she-kat.

Admittance of that unknown Kat would be forever burned into Callie's mind. It must have been truly terrible what the female had gone through because, though their arrival at the hospital had been calm due to Callie's presence, entering through the emergency room doors caused everything to go south...fast.

As typical of any emergency room, it was noisy, there were strange smells, odd sounds, strange looking Kats in even stranger clothing, weird looking devices and bright lights on the ceiling. Into this world Sweets was rolled on her back and it was no wonder she felt terrified and helpless.

Her wide pupiled eyes and wild look of fear let the med-Kats know this patient needed quiet and isolation to help keep her calm. They rolled her down the busy hall to a more quiet room. They dimmed the lights a bit and allowed Callie to remain by her side while the nurse took her vital signs and tried to get as much information as she could before leaving them alone to wait for the doctor.

The resident on duty arrived shortly after Sweets had been installed in the room. Callie never really knew what happened next. She had been talking softly to Sweets who was calm but still nervous and the next moment, the poor she-kat was behaving as if someone had lit a fire under her tail. Callie was confused as Sweets screamed, thrashed with the bedding then tore off the gurney, knocking instruments to the floor and slamming the nurse against the wall before hiding under a table in a corner of the room.

Silence fell except for the whimpering noise from Sweets. Callie looked around in bewilderment to see what could have caused this reaction but all she saw was a stunned male doctor in his white coat.

It took her a second to realize, Sweets behavior was the same as when the medic had approached her. Shaking her head unhappily, Callie quickly pushed the doctor back out of the room, leaving the nurse to try and calm Sweets while Callie explained to the doctor what had happened earlier that evening and everything they had learned since.

The doctor's face went grim and nodded his understanding. He was unhappy since Sweets behavior usually meant that someone in the medical field or someone pretending to be in the medical field had no doubt done something nasty to her.

"I think I know how to solve this problem. Let me go get another colleague I think the patient will accept." The doctor said then left for a few minutes. He returned with a female colleague who had wisely removed her lab coat.

"This is Dr. Bloom. She is an expert in dealing with cases of suspected abuse. She's also skilled in Homeopathic Medicine and is a trained psychologist." The doctor told Callie.

Callie sighed in relief. The fact this new doctor was an herbalist and used holistic methods rather than a modern one, was a good thing. Perhaps she would be more accepted by Sweets. She smiled at this new physician, explained what she knew of the patient and suggested she introduce them.

Dr. Bloom thought that was an excellent idea. When they entered the room, they saw the nurse kneeling near the shaken female, still trying to coax her out from under the table. The only good thing that had happened so far was Sweets wasn't quite as terrified as she had been earlier but still didn't trust the nurse enough to come out.

Dr. Bloom quietly gestured for the nurse to leave then nodded at Callie to coax Sweets out. After several minutes, she succeeded. After getting the frightened she-kat to return to the bed and get settled again, Callie introduced her to Dr. Bloom.

"Dr. Bloom is going to talk to you for a bit and try to help you. I'll be right outside of the door if you need me, okay?" Callie asked Sweets.

Sweets stared at the other she-kat warily but nodded her reluctant agreement. Callie smiled at her encouragingly then left the room.

Dr. Bloom succeeded in getting Sweets to talk with her. Sweets sighed mentally, this she-kat was no threat to her and she let herself relax her guard a little. Perhaps this one could help her out of this nightmare she was in. Sweets felt a little better after their talk, though still lost but at least now someone would be helping her find out what was going on.

Dr. Bloom told her to rest and coaxed her to accept a shot to allow her to get some much needed sleep. She promised she would be safe. After a long moment of hesitation, Sweets nodded her agreement. The shot stung a bit but Dr. Bloom smiled gently and distracted her with a drink of water, staying and talking to her until Sweets nodded off as the sedative took effect.

Meanwhile, Callie used the time she was waiting to make some urgent phone calls, one of them to the police and got herself a cup of coffee. The dispatch said they would send an officer as soon as they could to take the evidence the hospital had gathered and to interview the patient, if possible. Callie didn't think the second part was likely but said nothing and thanked the dispatch. With her calls made, she sat and drank her coffee. She could already see this was going to be a long night.

About two hours later, a very upset and concerned Dr. Bloom stepped out of the room to speak with the Deputy Mayor. With a sigh, the doctor motioned Callie to some seats nearby and they both sat.

"This is going to be a long and difficult case, Ms. Briggs. Do you want the good or the bad news first?" Dr. Bloom asked heavily, a grim look on her face.

"Which do I need to know first to help her?" Callie answered.

Dr. Bloom frowned thinking. "Well other than being badly shaken she doesn't seem all the worse for wear considering what she has been through. That is the good news. The bad news, however, is that the stress her mind underwent, from whatever trauma she'd suffered, has caused it to regress to protect itself."

Callie blinked in confusion. "What do you mean 'regress'?" She asked worriedly. This didn't sound good.

"It means her mind has retreated to an earlier period of her life where she had been safe and happy. Everything else after that has been buried to protect herself from further trauma. I would guess her mental age is around seven or eight. She's fully functional if you take in account you're speaking to a kitten rather than an adult." She said grimly. "Actually, I'm surprised she is doing as well as she is, all things considered."

Callie groaned. "So now what happens? Can anything be done to help her?" She was genuinely concerned. It was very upsetting to know this poor kat had been through something so bad she was forced to retreat in her mind to avoid it.

"Well, we're certainly going to try. First she will have to undergo a battery of tests to determine what treatment to use then we'll see if we can help her accept what's happened to her. Once she does, the nightmare can no longer hurt her but this can take a very long time and it depends on just how bad the trauma was in the first place." Dr. Bloom said quietly. "I've checked and am pleased to say we have room for her at the Psychiatric Center. The other thing that concerns me is I've discovered she's a sensitive. That is a person who is able to feel danger accurately through a heightened psychic sense. Did you notice anything tonight that showed this ability?" Dr. Bloom asked.

"A Sensitive? I've heard of such Kats before." Callie said thoughtfully. "I'd have to say it did happen once when she reacted badly to one of the medics that came to her aid. When he was asked to move away from her, she calmed down."

"Yes," Dr. Bloom said nodding, "that would fit. She said that she couldn't explain it but he just didn't 'feel' right to her. Her words not mine. I have heard of such things before but never encountered a 'sensitive' myself. So I guess this will be a learning experience for me as well. We have specialized chambers at the Center to accommodate kats who can hear or feel others so they aren't bombarded with too much sensory input."

Callie rubbed her face with a paw tiredly. "Well, that sounds like the best we can do for her. I hope it's enough. I really don't know what else to do." She sighed.

Dr. Bloom merely shrugged in agreement then looked toward the room where her patient slept peacefully. "We'll do all we can for her, Deputy Mayor. I will get the papers in the works for her transfer. I wanted to thank you for taking so much of your valuable time to help her. Too many unfortunate kats get lost in the tide of madness in this city and I'm just glad she wasn't one of them."

Callie smiled quietly. "I was just in the right place at the right time. I'm glad I followed my impulse to answer a cry for help and that she trusted me enough to let me assist her. Feels nice to actually be able to do something rather than just talk about it." She said warmly.

"Indeed, I'm sure it does." Dr. Bloom said with a smile. "I'm assuming you would like to be kept informed of her progress?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Callie.

"Oh yes, please. I'd appreciate that and I intend to inform my friends who found her with me on how she is doing as well. They were very concerned about her. Thank you for taking this case, Dr. Bloom." Callie said, offering her paw to shake before leaving.

"You're very welcome, Ms. Briggs." Dr. Bloom said warmly as she shook Callie's paw. She watched the Deputy Mayor leave the hospital before making her way back to her newest patient. She had no doubt that it was going to be a long road to recovery for this one.

She couldn't have known how prophetic that observation would be.


	4. Chapter 4

Oh wow

POINT OF TIME

_(A big THANK YOU to Ulyferal for playing beta to my works otherwise they would probably suck.)_

Ch 4

_Megakat City… Office of Deputy Mayor Calico Briggs… _

It had been only a few weeks since the discovery of the abused she-kat by Callie and her subsequent admission to the Megakat Psychictric Center. Unfortunately, the reports Callie had been getting were not good.

For patients who were sensitive to others emotions and pain, a solitary, deprivation room that sealed off any sound and scents of others, was usually an excellent place for them to try and get peace in their heads and recover their health. But in the case of this female, she might as well have been placed in an open ward for all the good the special room afforded her. Instead of getting better she was much, much worse.

When she had called the garage the day before to update the guys, they had been just as upset as she when they found out the news.

They had all hoped what had seemed like the best solution would work. Unfortunately, the she-kat, it seemed, was turning out to be a difficult case.

Today, Callie sighed as she hung up her phone from yet another dismal update from the Center. The news had been no better than before. The question now was what to do to solve the problem. It was plainly obvious that something needed to be done immediately.

Sweets, as they had dubbed the unfortunate she-kat, had suffered far too much already. The last thing she needed was to suffer more in the name of helping her.

Resigned, Callie picked up the phone again and dialed the number of the one kat she hoped would truly understand the she-kat's plight.

_Across town… Enforcer Building… Office of Commander Ulysses Feral…_

On the second ring, Commander Feral picked up. "Feral here." Came the distracted response. He was in the middle of his usual mess of paperwork and reports.

"Commander Feral, Ms. Briggs here, I need to discuss something of great importance with you. It's very urgent and needs to be dealt with immediately." Callie said, her voice conveying urgency and tension. .

Taken aback, Feral frowned; it wasn't like the Deputy Mayor to be this abrupt when calling him or handing out orders. "Alright Ms. Briggs, I'm listening. What's so important?" He asked setting aside the folder he had just picked up.

Callie mentally congratulated herself on managing to get his full attention. Replying quickly, she said. "Meet me at the Megakat Psychiatric Center. This is something you must see personally to understand what's going on and why its urgent." Not letting him respond, she hung up the phone, grabbed her keys and headed for the elevator.

Still frowning and shocked at her abruptness, Feral hung up the phone musing to himself as to what could be so urgent to make Briggs this upset. He got up from his desk, put his coat on and left his office.

Since most of the crazies in Megakat City tended to be psychotic, it seemed logical to separate this facility from the regular hospital. This prevented the patients from interacting with the normal population of sick and injured patients. It was still nearby Megakat General in case the mental patient required other medical care. They were only separated by a parking lot.

As Feral pulled in he noted that Callie's sedan was already in the lot and she was no where to be seen. Getting out he made his way to the revolving door and into the lobby where he saw the Deputy Mayor conversing with a lean grey-black spotted kat that appeared to be in the medical field.

Walking up to them, he bluntly interrupted the pair's conversation. "So, mind telling me what this is all about, Ms. Briggs."

"Well, Commander it's about one of the cases that is currently active in the police database. The reason I asked you to come down here is the case involved a she-kat who suffered serious abuse and was brought here to receive help. The female in question, though, isn't getting better, instead she's grown steadily worse. I've asked you down here to witness her condition and perhaps have some suggestion on what we can do next." Callie said, tersely.

Feral hissed in reaction to this news. He hated abuse cases. There was nothing worse in his mind, other than slavery. It was sickening and the penalties for such, if convicted in Megakat City, were some of the stiffest in all the civililized countries.

"Sounds like a very serious case. Alright, I'll take a look at her." He said gravely.

Callie nodded and turned to the Kat in medical clothing, who had been waiting patiently.

"We need to see Sweets. Would you clear us to do so?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am. Wait a moment while I get the proper authorization." The Kat said politely then moved off to the front admissions desk.

Feral and Ms. Briggs followed slowly behind him. The wait was about ten minutes when the Kat returned.

"Sir, ma'am. I've received permission to take you to see the patient." He stated politely. "Please follow me."

He lead them down several corridors and several security check through doors before finally reaching a special, quiet ward with locked doors. He walked down the corridor, their footsteps sounding loud in the silence then stopped at one door in particular. He didn't make a move to open the door yet and gestured them to look through the small observation window.

Callie didn't make a move to the door. She grimaced and held back, hugging herself. She had seen enough of this horror to last her a lifetime.

Feral noted Ms. Briggs behavior which made him even more upset as he moved close and peeked through the small window into the room. What he saw made his stomach tighten with anger and sorrow.

A young she-kat, possibly only in her twenties, was thrashing about in obvious mental anguish. Paws held tightly to her head, she was throwing her skull against the mattress in an obvious attempt to stop the sounds she was hearing in her mind.

Her face was racked with pain and horror. It was obvious to any observing her that the input she was receiving was pure torture to her and her mouth was opened wide where, if it weren't for the soundproofing, they would get an earful of her screaming for all she was worth.

Sucking in a breath, shock suffusing his face, Feral pulled away from the sight.

He turned to the Kat, whose name was Evans by his name tag, and demanded, "How long has this been going on?"

"Very nearly since she got here three weeks ago. We've had to keep drugging her to let her get even a little sleep. When she wakes up, it starts all over again." Evans sighed in tired frustration. They all knew her circumstances and it was sad to see that nothing they did seemed to help her.

Feral growled. "Why then is she not in a more secured room where she can't hear or scent anyone?"

Evans nearly growled back at the commanding tom. His frustration at the situation making him irritable.

"Sir this **is** the secured rooms. They are sound proof, padded, and double insulated just for that purpose. Yet despite all that, she keeps saying she 'hears' the other patients. Add to this problem, is her inability to allow other doctors to see her besides the one physician who is a homeopathic therapist with a degree in psychology. This severely limits who can treat her. Believe me, sir, it's been no picnic for use either."

"Coupled with the fact that there are only certain kats whom she can even stand to get near her to begin with. It's making things very difficult for everyone involved, Commander. This patient is a sensitive and defies all the ordinary treatment options." Callie quickly interjected before Feral could snap at Evans.

Shaking his head at this information, Feral couldn't see how this poor unfortunate female was going to be able to survive to see justice done if she couldn't survive, with her sanity intact, long enough for the treatments by the most knowledgeable kats in their field to help her.

He may not believe in such things as 'sensitives' himself but obviously something was causing her terrible agony. Groaning to himself, Feral was really at a loss as to how to deal with this situation.

Peering into the padded cell once more he sighed and came to a decision. Strangely as he did so, he noticed the she-kat in the room tense, stop thrashing, turn her head toward him as if she could see him. Her ears perked up. A second later, he was startled when she suddenly lunged from the bed and slammed into the door.

He stepped back in surprise then heard, faintly, the rapid tattoo of fists pounding on the door. He needed to stop that or she would hurt herself. He turned to Evans and barked an order. "Open this door!"

Evans was shocked to hear the she-kat pounding on the door when she normally couldn't get up from the bed at all because of the pain. He didn't hesitate to jump forward and quickly unlock the door.

As the door silently opened, they were immediately struck by a flood of noise, like an explosion. Her screams were like a small bomb going off as they poured out of the soundproofed room and filled the hall.

Blinded by the pain of others and desperately wanting to escape, Sweets bolted out the now fully opened door and straight into the broad chest of Commander Feral.

For a moment she couldn't register her forward motion had been halted and continued to try and escape her torment. But as a strong pair of paws kept hold of her, she finally realized someone was holding her firmly. Also, that someone wasn't setting off her alarms.

She managed to stop screaming and panted, sucking in a a musky scent with earthy tones. Gradually, she became aware that the one holding her was speaking to her in soft soothing tones. The voice was very deep and gave off vibes of being someone she could trust.

She was further surprised to note that it was a tom holding her. Utterly relieved, she was actually able to relax just a little despite the cacophony of racket still hammering at her brain.

Ulysses Feral had dealt with many things in his time as chief enforcer but the sight of the terrified and near crazed female made him rather sick at heart. 'How could she get better if being here only made her worse? What is it about this place that seems to be hurting her?' He asked himself worriedly.

A mewing around his midsection cut short his thoughts. Looking down he found himself staring into the largest pair of deep grey-blue eyes he had ever seen. The surrounding fur seemed to be of varying shades of beige to tan with a tangled mess of brown-red hair.

Sweets swallowed hard as she stared upward. The tom kat holding her was huge, even bigger than the other one she had met before. Yet he too had that same comforting feel to him. He was big but not scary or at least not as far as she was concerned.

Sniffling, the petite she-kat suddenly hugged him even tighter. Despite how comforting he made her feel, the constant racket in her head was reaching a crescendo she couldn't block.

She began to make a pitiful mewling sound that grew to near wails until she was screaming again. Releasing Feral she sent her paws once more to her head and tried desperately to block the noise.

Her poor body exhausted, she could no longer hold out against the invasion of her mind and succumbed to darkness which finally gave her blessed peace.

Feral was shocked as the she-kat went limp and began to slide to the floor. Her limp form was thankfully light or he might have dropped her when she unexpectedly fainted.

Shaking his head in consternation, Feral turned to Evans with his burden safely cradled against his massive chest. "I want a word with the doctor that's managing her care, right now." He ordered.

While all this had been going on, Callie had been watching the terrible scene play out, it made her just as ill now as it had that first night when she had met the unfortunate kat. How one kat would be able to survive all that this one had with their sanity intact was beyond her.

When the Commander demanded they go see Sweet's doctor, Callie felt that was the best decision right now.

Sighing, Callie followed the two toms; Feral had picked Sweets up in a bridal type carry. As she was so small, it wasn't difficult for him, thus they proceeded through the security checkpoint, garnering a surprised and concerned look from the guard as they passed through and headed for the elevators. They went up to the third floor where the doctors held sessions.

During the brief elevator ride, no one spoke, each wrapped in their own thoughts. Feral however found the turn of events disturbing, what was stranger was the fact that he didn't seem to mind carrying the fragile she-kat. Such close contact usually brought about some form of uncomfortable feelings on his part. But it was not so in this case. 'I wonder why?' He thought to himself.

The elevator dinged at the third floor and the trio stepped off with Evans in the lead. Feral and Ms. Briggs walked side by side not saying a word, their thoughts moving ahead as to what to do about the helpless she-kat.

They walked down the main corridor then turned off into another one, moving passed the first door and stopping at the second. The plaque on the door read "Dr. Kita Bloom, Homeopathic and Natural Healing Therapist'.

Evans knocked firmly on the door. A female voice called out, "Come in." Evans opened the door and stepped aside to allow them in.

Seated at a desk piled with files and a computer on one corner, was a slim female with rich chocolate brown fur and auburn locks who looked at them in shocked surprise.

Dr. Bloom was used to seeing the Deputy Mayor. Callie had been to see her on several occasions since Sweets had been admitted.

No, It was the fact the Chief Enforcer was also here and not only that but was holding the limp body of her mystery patient that truly shocked her.

'What in the world is going on?' Kita thought in dismay.


	5. Chapter 5

POINT OF TIME

_**A HUGE THANK YOU, to Ulyferal for playing beta to my works, cause otherwise they really would suck. ^_^**_

Chapter 5

_Author's Note – NO I have not forgotten about my stories but have been suffering from writer's block. So please be patient with me. The holidays didn't help so give me a bit more time to work. Thanks so much for your reviews and interest._

Third floor of the Psychiatric Center.......Office of Dr. Kita Bloom.....

"Dr. Bloom, I'm Commander Feral. I have a few questions for you regarding this patient's welfare." Feral growled pushing his way into the office still carrying the unconscious she-kat gently against his chest.

After what he'd witnessed, he was in no mood to be kindly toward anyone right now, particularly a doctor. He was no fan of anyone in the medical profession to begin with even if they were necessary for a happy, healthy population, it didn't mean he would ever like them.

Dr. Bloom had been in the process of moving to her door when Feral just burst in followed by a rather apologetic, Ms. Briggs. The doctor backed up to stand closer to her desk to allow the three to enter her office. Evans stood in the door, uncertain what to do next.

Before Feral could say anything more, a soft moan drew everyone's attention to the small she-kat that was the center of this conflict.

Frowning, Sweets slowly glanced around at her surroundings trying to think how she had gotten here. She felt a warm body against hers and could tell she was suspended off her feet in the air.

Craning her neck up, she saw a huge dark brown tom. He was eyeing her in concern. It was then she remembered what had happened.

'My room door was opened and all those noises crashed into my head but then this tom appeared in the door and he felt so safe that I had grabbed him when the pain increased until everything went black. Oh! And I seem to be at that nice doctor's room where she talks to me.' She thought in bewilderment. 'Wonder why I'm here?'

Feral couldn't help the small smile as he watched the tiny she-kat's eyes look around in round-eyed surprise. She looked up at him questioningly.

Speaking softly so as to not spook her, Feral introduced himself. "Hello there little one, I'm Ulysses. Are you feeling any better now?" He asked her gently. Though she looked like an adult, he felt talking to her like a kitten was the right thing to do. She rewarded him with a slow smile and a nod.

Watching, Dr. Bloom couldn't repress a smile of her own. The Commander had unwittingly done the right thing in this situation. Turning toward the other kats in the room she noted that Callie was also grinning at the interactions of the gruff tom with the small female.

She got Evans attention and gestured for him to leave. He nodded and without a word left them and closed the door behind him.

"What has happened and what exactly do you need to discuss with me, Commander?" Dr. Bloom asked.

Remembering his pique at what had happened downstairs, Feral's scowl returned as he looked at the doctor. But before he could answer her, he felt a pair of small paws beginning to explore the front of his uniform. He turned his attention back to her to see what she was up to. The tiny face smiled up at him as her fingers explored his chest.

"How come you have all these fancy buttons all over your shirt?" Sweets , her natural inquisitiveness unhampered now that the horrible noises in her head had muted somewhat.

For whatever reason, going up to the third floor had quieted the sounds she heard. The farther away from the main populace she was the less she could 'hear' them. Feral was wearing his dress uniform with full medals on the front and all those shiny 'buttons' were just too interesting for her to ignore.

Feral blinked down at her, at a loss how to respond to that kitten-like response.

Dr. Bloom chuckled at the confused look on the Commander's face. "You'll have to forgive her Commander. Due to the trauma she sustained, her mind has regressed back to that of a kitten. I approximate her mental age at around seven or eight years old."

Feral swallowed hard and eyed the strange little she-kat he held in his arms. 'Well,' he thought 'that certainly explains the unusual behavior.'

"Please, have a seat and we'll talk." The doctor said, taking her seat behind the desk. They did as she suggested. Feral settled the she-kat more comfortably in his lap, keeping one arm around her to insure she didn't slip off.

Dr. Bloom looked at them all, thoughtfully. She decided to start with something she'd caught the Commander saying to Sweets when she had regained consciousness.

"Commander, I'm curious. Why did you introduce yourself to Sweets with your first name rather than your title? This isn't something you would normally do is it?"

Feral eyed her in surprise then frowned as he thought about why he'd done something out of character for him. "Well, actually I don't know why I did it, to tell the truth. It just seemed like the right thing to do." He shrugged his shoulders. "I really can't explain it better than that."

Dr. Bloom nodded to herself, her suspicions were correct. The Commander didn't know about Sweets and her 'odd' abilities.

It had taken them three weeks, working with her daily, to establish some of what Sweets was capable of, not the least of was her being a sensitive. Her abilities went far beyond that and they had no experience with this area nor was anything they could find documented on such abilities before. They had psychics certainly, but she just didn't fit into any of the described psychic abilities they knew about.

For Dr. Bloom this was both exciting as well as disconcerting. They were treading new ground here and they had to be very careful not to make her present condition worse. But because she was such an unknown, they were at a loss at how to treat her nor how to keep her from suffering further mental damage from being in a building filled with sick Kats. Sighing mentally, Kita Bloom felt rather helpless on this issue. They really needed to find a way to help Sweets.

Leaving that subject for the moment, she addressed the Commander's discomfort at behaving differently than he was normally.

"Your reaction to Sweets is due to her ability to emit an 'aura' around her that allows those she feels she can trust to know how to help her when she's in distress. It seems to guide that person on the right way to react to her needs at that moment. It can be rather disturbing to the person it happens to when they learn what is going on but at the time of the occurrence the person just naturally feels inclined to help her. We are still trying to understand how it works but for now, all we do know is it does." She explained.

Feral gave her a look of disbelief as he absently reached down to stop Sweets from pulling a particularly shiny 'button' off of his coat. "That sounds like something from science fiction." He snorted.

Before Dr. Bloom could comment on that blunt statement, Callie decided to interrupt. She'd been watching in fascination as Sweets unknowingly made the Commander fall all over himself for her. She had seen the affects of this 'aura' first hand and knew how the tiny she-kat had affected even the most stoic of the medical professionals who had examined her. It was rather amusing to see Feral was no exception.

"It's true Commander. I've seen it myself. None of the doctors have been able to resist whatever this is. It's really something to see." Callie said, shaking her head and smiling.

"We've noticed this ability only manifests itself when Sweets feels safe and calm. Unfortunately, given where she is forced to stay, that isn't very often." Dr. Bloom said, sighing with resignation. "We've check with psychic specialists but none of them can figure out what this is either, meanwhile, she is in a place that is doing her more harm than good. This just can't continue but we're at a loss as what to do about it."

"But, surely there must be somewhere or someone that can help her. I agree this just can't continue, even criminals are protected from cruel and unusual punishment." Feral said, very unhappy about this situation and not liking the feeling of helplessness he was starting to feel.

Forgotten at the moment, Sweets sat in his lap humming happily to herself. She certainly didn't mind that it was quieter here and the big tom's lap was quite comfortable.

"I'm afraid not Commander." Dr. Bloom smiled sadly at Sweets' oblivious behavior and the fact that the Commander had not removed his arm from its protective place around her. "The only way for her to have that kind of special treatment is if someone were to take her on a one on one basis and knew what they were getting into. Unfortunately, right now there is no one to whom she trusts and is available to do it." She sighed and spread her paws. "I'm afraid she's stuck here until we can find someone qualified and that she will trust to take care of her and try to help her find herself again."

Callie sighed as well. "Now you can see what I'm up against, Commander. All the avenues normally open to someone like Sweets won't work due to this 'problem' of hers. I just thought perhaps you might have another avenue I hadn't explored to solve this." She looked at Sweets and smiled wanly. "We do know leaving her here will cost her what little sanity she has left."

Now it was Feral's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry, Ms. Briggs. I don't have any other options for something like this. As you say, the case is very unusual and Sweets requires specialized care that seems to be unavailable. I don't mind saying I don't like this at all." He growled, unhappily.

A soft whimper and sudden pressure around his midsection made him looked down in surprise and concern. Apparently, Sweets had determined he needed a hug as demonstrated by her wrapping both arms around him as far as she could and snuggling against his chest.

Concern and worry spread across his face as he gently caressed the little she-kat. He looked up at Dr. Bloom for an explanation for Sweets behavior.

Smiling sadly, Bloom shook her head at the bonding going on between the odd pair. "It seems Commander, she thinks you are in need of comforting. You were becoming agitated and this is her way of making you feel better. Remember her mind is that of a kitten, so to her a hug fixes everything."

Callie could only smile at the look on the Chief Enforcer's face. One would have thought he had been dunked in a bucket of water by his bewildered look.

Groaning Feral looked down at the tan-beige female who glanced up and fixed him with the most radiant smile he'd ever seen. He stared at her as he tried to think of something, anything but the only solution that came to mind could very well be something he was going to later regret but as both the doctor and Ms. Briggs had said, no one else could take her and she just couldn't stay here so that just left............

Taking a deep breathe, he muttered softly, "I'll take her."

Blinking in shock, Dr. Bloom could not be sure she'd actually heard what the Commander had said. "What did you say?" She asked incredulously.

Callie was also stunned. 'Surely he didn't mean that!' She thought. 'Does he really know what he's in for?'

Steeling himself, Feral repeated what he said a bit more loudly and distinctly. "I said, I'll take her."

Both she-kats just stared wide eyed at the Chief Enforcer. They had hoped for assistance but neither had expected nor desired for him to volunteer.

"Commander are you sure?" Dr. Bloom spluttered in shock. "Sir, you're not trained to deal with a disturbed patient nor how to go about handling her treatment. It's wonderful that you want to help but this isn't the way to do it."

"I agree with the doctor, Commander. It's a wonderful thing you want to do but how on earth do you think you can handle something like this and do your job? You can't be with her twenty-four hours a day like she requires?" Callie said, not wanting Sweets to suffer anymore trauma as she would when Feral had to leave her frequently for his job.

Feral swallowed uneasily. He knew he was in over his head in the first place. He didn't need the two she-kats to remind him of that but what was left. "I don't know....yet....but I'll have to check into that won't I. For now, I'll treat her like the kitten she acts like, bring her to you for her therapy, though I think coming to her would be better for her but we'll discuss that later. I'll just have to find someone Sweets will trust to care for her when I'm away." He said firmly.

"Commander, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Even when calm, Sweets suffers terrible nightmares. Her behavior is that of a kitten even though she is an adult kat. That means bed wetting, crying in the middle of the night and a whole host of other things that kittens suffer. Do you think you can handle that?" Dr. Bloom persisted, truly concerned that the poor tom just didn't know what he was in for.

The Commander froze at the litany of things to be aware of and deal with when it came to caring for kittens beyond those things Sweets required due to her disturbed state. 'Kat's alive! Could he truly handle all that?' He wondered. It didn't help matters that he wasn't much of a touchy-feely kind of Kat in the first place.....still, he felt compelled to do something to help this tiny female.

Looking down he found her staring at him intently. When she realized he was looking at her she broke into that big glowing smile again. He sighed, that decided him. Whatever it took, he would face the challenge head on.

"I understand you trepidations. I share them, actually but I'll still do what I said. I won't turn down any useful advice and assistance of course. I know really nothing about kittens but I'm willing to learn. So tell me exactly what I need to do." He said, blushing a bit, but standing firm on his decision even though he was shaking inside with fear.

Dr. Bloom shook her head and glanced over at Ms. Briggs who could only shrug and smile. She looked back at Feral. "Well against my better judgement, we'll try this and see if it works. You and I will set up a schedule for me to see her and I'll give you some detailed instructions on how to deal with Sweets needs as well as give you my phone number to call when you get into deep or encounter something you concerned about." She gave Feral another hard look then went on. "The first thing to do is give you a crash course in kitten therapy and update your psychology knowledge from what you've learned as an enforcer. Then there is the list of medications we need to go over and a list of things that are inappropriate to have around her." She said, running things to tell him through her mind.

Then she turned her attention to Callie. "You going to help him with the paperwork necessary for temporary guardianship of Sweets?" She asked.

"Yes, I'll help him get it done. I do have some experience with these kinds of paperwork after having to deal with that lunatic Lenny Ringtail." Callie said lightly, noting the look on the Commander's face of someone who is totally overwhelmed and uncertain. She felt for him, it was a difficult thing he was planning to do. Here was a Kat who could command troops and protect a city, totally buffaloed when it came to taking care of a mentally disturbed female. Heaven help him!

Feral gave a physical sigh of relief, and mouthed a silent 'Thank You' to Callie as Dr. Bloom got up to retrieve the files and paperwork. He truly hated paperwork.

As she handed the paperwork over to Callie, Dr. Bloom stared at Commander Feral once more.  
"I hope for her sake that you can indeed handle this Commander." She said in warning.

Personally, Feral hoped he could too as he looked down at his new charge and wondered what he'd gotten himself into.

The next couple of hours were spent in filling out said 'paperwork'. He left Callie with it for a short time as he went home to prepare it for his new house guest, laid in groceries, and removed the things the doctor said shouldn't be around.

Sweets was confused and worried when Feral left but Dr. Bloom and Callie kept her occupied until he returned. When he did, she was excited. Somehow, she sensed something was up as she could feel the excitement in the dark tom which made her become more and more animated, much to the delight and amusement of Callie and the doctor.

Feral took her in his arms when he returned and she hugged him tightly. He was very glad it was Friday. He had the weekend to set up what he needed to do to care for her, find a caretaker, and get in the learning he needed to care for her. It was going to be a very busy weekend and on top of it he would have to learn to deal with sleepless nights and all the other things having a kitten around meant. By the weekend's end, he knew he was going to be very, very tired.


End file.
